Zeta Empire
The military organization of the Ceris Antares is a simple, hierarchical chain of command to which blind adhesion is required, especially from the lower ranks. Independent thinking and action is at best frowned upon, and at worst sanctioned by death. This one-way immutable decision structure is the only method that has proven efficient in coordinating the gargantuan resources necessary for the correct deployment of the Ceris Antares in a given war zone. The main issues of confusion and lack of cohesion within the Ceris Antares's hierarchy come from the interdependence of the Ceris Antares with the Imperial Navy and the Defense Department and the Department of Munitions. Thus, the Ceris Antares furnishes the manpower, the Department of Munitions furnishes the materiel and the Imperial Navy ensures air superiority and transports both men and weapons to their objective without intervening directly on the ground other than providing air support. The arrangement has proven effective, but politicking amongst Imperial officers can lead to confusion in the chain of command as they vie for seniority and the most prestigious assignments. It is one of the roles of the Commissariat to ensure, by force of arms if necessary, that the Imperial military's chain of command always remains clear and operationally efficient. Ceris Antares Rank Hierarchy The highest "conventional" rank reachable in the Guard is that of Lord General Militant, the highest rank above the Disclipinary General corps. This rank brings with it command of armies of almost limitless number, and the responsibility for command of a whole theatre of operations. It is the duty of the Lord General Militant to not only ensure military objectives are met. On the contrary, regiments vary immensely in size, structure, and purpose, from small, deadly, armored regiments, to bewilderingly large regiments of siege infantry. In truth, the regiment is a difficult thing to define, but some might classify it thusly: a regiment is the operational unit of the Ceris Antares, a discrete formation of Imperial Guardsmen, all trained and equipped to operate in a single way, and all drawn from a single world and its dominant culture. All other factors are subject to local variation and prevailing logistical doctrine -- at times, all the fighting men and women taken from a single world at a single time have been classified as a single regiment, creating units of thousandss of men, while other periods and places have attempted to define a set number of warriors or an arbitrarily calculated fighting strength to determine a regiment. Nonetheless, some elements remain consistent. At the top of every regiment in the Imperial Guard is a single officer, commonly given the rank of Colonel, who serves as the frontline commander. From highest to lowest, the ranks of the Imperial Guard include: * Dragon King Nui'ra (supreme commander of the Ceris Antares and a High Lord of The Zeta Empire) * Warmaster (special rank only bestowed upon a general officer who leads an Crusade, Ceris Antares) * Lord Commander (supreme military commander of one of the five Ceris Antares) * Disciplinary General (supreme military commander of a designated theatre of operations i.e. Combatant Commander, Ceris Antares) * General (various different titles for this rank exist) * Colonel (various different titles for this rank exist) * Major * Captain (various different titles for this rank exist) * Lieutenant * Sergeant * Corporal * Trooper Imperial Navy Rank Hierarchy Commissioned officers represent the highest ranks of the Imperial Navy personnel and their commissions usually can only be granted by the Battle Fleet Administration. * Lord High-Admiral - Also called a Battle fleet Commander, Lord High-Admiral is the highest rank of the Imperial Navy. Only five of these august individuals exist, one for each of the major segment. Each is responsible for the Imperial Navy's fighting forces across thousands of sectors in their allotted portion of the galaxy, or in the case of the Lord High-Admiral Solar, the substantial volumes of space around Terra itself. * Lord-Admiral - A Lord-Admiral, or Sector Commander, is responsible for all naval operations in a given sector and has direct command of units of the battle fleet allocated to that sector. * Admiral - An Admiral is allocated command of a portion of a sector's fleet and responsibility for the security of a handful of star systems and the vast tracts of wilderness space that lies in-between. * Vice-Admiral - By long tradition, a Vice-Admiral commands the leading division of a fleet, the part that would equate to the vanguard of a terrestrial force. In later times this has come to mean commanding a force of Light Cruisers and Destroyers charged with scouting for the enemy, charting navigational hazards and long-range patrolling. * Rear-Admiral - In ancient times when an entire Battle fleet might be massed together, the thousands of starships present would be divided into three commands, each under the command of their own Admiral. The Rear-Admiral was the youngest and least experienced flag officer in the fleet and so would be given charge of the rearmost division as the one least likely to see combat. Over time this flag rank has evolved into a largely administrative post charged with coordinating repair facilities, refueling ships, forming convoys and other rear echelon activities. Time spent as a Rear-Admiral is seen as essential for a flag officer who aspires to higher ranks to demonstrate their facility with logistics and high-level planning. * Commodore - Also sometimes called a Group Commander, the rank of Commodore was originally only a temporary one given to a senior Captain placed in charge of a squadron of starships. Over time the rank of Commodore has found its way into permanent usage as what were once temporary squadrons stabilized into regular patrol routes and areas of responsibility. On rare and terrible occasions when capital ships join together in squadrons the senior Captain is still promoted to Commodore for the duration of the engagement. * Lord-Captain - Sometimes also referred to as Flag-Captain, Lord-Captain is an honorific rank normally applied to Captains who command vessels on detached duty. * Captain - Imperial Navy Captains are the masters of all that they survey. Aloof and uncompromising, these figures are unbowed by the awesome responsibility entrusted to them. These exceptional individuals hold full command of an Imperial Navy warship and all the souls that reside within it. * Commander - A Commander is a subordinate officer rank that is in charge of individual Escort-class vessels, with a Captain or Commodore holding overall command of an Escort squadron. However, an officer with the rank of Commander might also be found as the commanding officer of a squadron of system vessels, wing commander of the Attack Craft onboard a carrier ship, or placed in charge of an orbital station. * Lieutenant - A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer who is usually placed in direct command of system-defense ships and monitors. It is more common to find Lieutenants acting as second-in-command aboard Escort-class ships, as part of the vast bridge crew found on a capital vessel, or in an Attack Craft squadron acting as a Flight Leader. A Lieutenant is regarded as having true potential and the opportunity for further advancement up the Imperial Navy's chain of command. * Midshipman - A Midshipman is the junior-most "officer" rank in the Imperial Navy. Midshipmen are actually better described as students with an officer's rank. Technically afforded an officer's respect, they are nevertheless still in demanding training to become true officers, and many of their duties are "hands-on" opportunities to learn. Midshipmen are so-called because they traditionally have quarters somewhere in a warship's midsection, far from the command bridge. Ground Forces TheCeris Antaresd is the largest military force of the Chirona Empire and also serves as the empire's primary combat force and first line of defense from the myriad threats which threaten the existence of the empire in this age of continuous war. It is comprised of countless millions of men and women -- hundreds of different regiments, supported by a vast array of light and heavy armored vehicles that provide the Guard's primary offensive punch. They are usually the first force to respond to a threat I they break through the empires barrier and fails to suppress it. They also garrison major locations of strategic or cultural interest to the empire and are often found in defensive roles. The Imperial Guard is often referred to as the "Sledgehammer of the Empress"; the sheer amount of force that the Imperial Guard can bring to bear on the enemy is devastating, but is not as direct or as precise as their Imperial Navy, who are described as the "Scalpel of the Empress." There is no universal uniform or regimental command hierarchy in the Imperial Guard, although it is compulsory for every regiment to have at least one Commissar to maintain the discipline and morale of the men while watching for any signs of corruption or taint in the ranks. Regiments * In large-scale crusades that usually involve large armies of the Ceris Antares, Guardsmen High Commanders are often found directing the crusade effort from the rear, keeping with him representatives from the various Imperial Guard Regiments and the occasional Space Marine Chapter involved in the crusade to keep in constant contact with the fighting components. However, when necessary, the High Commander may take to the battlefield with his aides and bodyguard, boosting his men's morale with his mere presence. High Commanders have a higher rank than other officers normally found at the front lines. A commander has the choice of which regiment to lead from the front, but they can be put into the major sections of all different types of Imperial Guard Regiments. * The senior-most officer of an Imperial Guard Company leads his troops as part of a Command Squad. This is the heart of an Imperial Guard army, from where the Company Commander can disseminate orders, execute the Regimental Commander's battle strategy and direct the actions of specific units. The Command Squads typically number five men - the Senior Officer and four of the unit's most competent troopers. They are often given additional training and equipment, enabling them to function as combat medics,operators and other orderlies. A soldier who has displayed gallantry above and beyond the call of duty is often inducted into such Command Squads. Department of Munitions The Imperial Guard is a colossal organization, dwarfing every other military force in the empire for sheer manpower, and matched only by the Imperial Navy in logistical complexity and global significance. However, what is certain is that every one of these brave souls, and more besides, are required to fight and die for the empire in order to try to preserve it. The matter of assembling and arming the uncountable masses of Guardsmen is the responsibility of the Department of Munitions a department within the empire responsible for military logistics across the empire. Some have claimed that the numbers of the Imperial Guard are matched or even exceeded by the sheer number of scribes, adepts, prefects, and a bewildering array of other administrative officials, whose duty it is to ensure that the Imperial Guard are able to fight their wars. In their hands is the impossibly complex task of raising armies from villages, each with a different culture, equipping them in an appropriate manner, and ensuring that every man and woman is fed, watered, and supplied with ammunition. Combat Doctrine The Imperial Guard is the largest and most diverse military organization that the shinobi world has ever known. Numbering in the high million and equipped with innumerable tanks and super-heavy war machines, the Imperial Guard serves as both the hammer and the anvil of the Chirona Empire. The Imperial Guard is not a swift and precise military tool like the empires elite assassins. Instead, it is used to bludgeon a foe into oblivion in bloody wars of attrition that can last for months, years or even decades in many cases. Although a single Imperial Guardsman can never be the equal of even the most raw and masterful shinobi, there are thousands of men in each regiment and it is in the sheer size of its forces that the true strength of the Imperial Guard lies. An Imperial Guard regiment is mostly uniform in its force composition. Infantry regiments contain no heavy artillery, whilst armored regiments contain no infantrymen. As a result of this policy, regiments are required to work together in combined arms formations known as battle groups or task forces. This was done so that no faction of the Imperial Guard would ever be able to rebel against the empire with such devastating effect as the combined arms regiments of the Imperial Army. Just as regiments provide individual units for the smaller tactical level battle groups, so entire regiments are often drawn together to form massive strategic-level forces called army groups. These forces are led by high-ranking commanders such as generals and high marshals and can consist of any number of regiments, from as few as 2 to as many as several hundred in the largest, sector-wide empire campaigns. The method by which Imperial forces make it to a new war zone are often haphazard. Different types of Imperial Guard Regiments utilize different methods of warfare. Though most of their engagements would count as battles of attrition, often Imperial Guard units will work alongside auxiliaries or specialized units in order to achieve different tactical outcomes some which may include, sabotage, infiltration, demolitions. The Imperial Guard is the stalwart primary fighting force of the empire, capable of dispensing a myriad of specialized troops. The Imperial Guard's most prominent asset is its ability to draw upon endless ranks of Guardsman - drawn from various villages within the empire. Each village supplies an annual tithe of Guardsmen, in order to sustain the never-ending war machine that is the Imperial Guard. Logistics Each regiment of the Imperial Guard includes a substantial number of soldiers equipped with a broad range of war gear. The simple matter of billeting, feeding, and providing for the basic needs of these troops requires substantial resources. Of course, providing them with adequate equipment to engage in extended conflicts only complicates these matters. Ostensibly, the Department of Munitions ultimately assumes full responsibility for supplies. The overworked townspeople and adepts must constantly verify that the appropriate gear is sent to each regiment so that they may function at acceptable levels of efficiency. When a regiment is initially raised, its home land is expected to provide ample supplies as part of their military tithe to the empire. Consequently, the initial supply of foodstuffs, uniforms, battle armor and standard kit that are issued to each trooper are generally consistent with those used as part of the empire's standing military of Defense Forces. Only after a regiment has been issued these supplies and undergone at least rudimentary training can the empire tithe be considered complete. The variation between different shinobi military traditions and cultural proclivities leads to the substantial variations that are observed between Imperial Guard regiments from different lands. Naval Forces The Imperial Navy is one of the armed forces of the Chirona Empire. While the Imperial Guard represents the Empire's ground forces, the Imperial Navy is responsible for the fleets of battleships that maintain order between the lands outside of the Empire, for all air support provided to the infantry of the Imperial Guard, and for transporting those Guardsmen across the world to the Empire's myriad warzones. The battle fleets of the Imperial Navy are constantly engaging threats both inside and outside the Empire's borders. Origins The origins of the Imperial Navy lay in the campaigns of the Great Crusade that began in two millennia ago. The Great Crusade was the largest and most ambitious military endeavor ever undertaken by the empire. As mighty and valiant as the hosts of the then Emperor were, this epic undertaking would have been entirely impossible without the countless thousands of elite vessels that transported hundreds of thousands of the elite warriors of the empire. The Great Crusade saw a staggering array of vessels constructed, reclaimed or pressed into service. Some were used for a matter of months before being declared obsolete or wearing out and degrading to destruction, quite apart from losses incurred in battle, while others gained a permanent place in the canon of war, with successful designs endlessly copied and modified as the decades progressed. Holy Fleet On many cases, the Imperial Navy is often referred to as the "Holy Fleet." The Ecclesiarchy preaches that the Fleet is an extension of the Emperor's divine will and is therefore itself a sacred institution. This is due to the intimate relationship between the Navigators who are able to guide the fleet though the arduous obstacles placed before them. Whether or not the title applies to all vessels in the empire that make use of Navigators is unclear, though this is unlikely. However, this is due to their own techno-theological beliefs concerning the divinity of all machines. Reserve Components As with all highly militarized zones, it is important for the Imperial Navy to maintain substantial reserves of vessels around the borders of the empire, ready to deploy as reinforcements should the need arise. Whilst it is possible to keep the vessels themselves ready in this manner, some commanders simply do not possess the manpower to keep reserve crews stationed aboard these vessels as well. Instead, whole shipyards are filled with rows of silent, inactive vessels, often representing classes of ship now outdated or scarce. In times of great need these warships will then be brought into service and crewed with ratings from destroyed or crippled vessels or even with hastily mustered new recruits, meaning the crew is unlikely to have any familiarity with their new vessel. A posting to a reserve fleet is an unnerving duty, forcing a rating to enter deep into an unfamiliar vessel which may have lain dormant for many standard decades. Much superstition surrounds such fleets and perhaps because of this, unusual behavior of both crew and vessel in these fleets is rather too commonplace. Category:Organization